It's OK to not be OK

Molly Richardson

Oklahoma State University, United States

Social Impact - Photography / Print / Illustration / Graphic

Category Semifinalist

The subject matter of this children’s book attempts to tack a topic which is very personal to me, and, I’m sure, many other people in the world. Mental illness affects 1 in every 5 people, and our society is too damn afraid to talk about it. No one hesitates to complain about their head hurting or feeling tired, but if someone is feeling depressed or anxious they can’t tell anyone without running the risk of making them uncomfortable. I feel very passionately that the stigma of mental illness must change. I wrote and illustrated this children’s book in hopes that we can raise a generation of children who are comfortable discussing mental illness, as well as bring about awareness in both parents and teachers who are reading the book to them. Each child is depicted in the midst of a challenging moment, and also normalized by showing whatever it is they enjoy doing; and the book concludes with the children demonstrating inclusive behavior for their peers.